Neuroinflammation-Modulating Agent SB1617 Enhances LC3-Associated Phagocytosis to Mitigate Tau Pathology

Tau Protein aggregation and propagation in neurons and surrounding microglia are well-known risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, emerging therapeutic strategies that target neuroinflammatory activity in microglia have the potential to prevent tauopathy. Here, we explored the microglia-mediated neuroprotective function of SB1617 against tau aggregation. Our study revealed that SB1617-inactivated pathogenic M1-like microglia, reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines via translational regulation, and induced microglial polarization toward the M2 phenotype and phagocytic function. Furthermore, we observed that extracellular pathogenic tau aggregates were eliminated via LC3-associated phagocytosis. The in vivo efficacy of SB1617 was confirmed in mice with traumatic brain injury in which SB1617 exerted neuroprotective effects by reducing pathogenic tau levels through microglia-mediated anti-inflammatory activity. Our results indicated that SB1617-mediated microglial surveillance with LC3-associated phagocytosis is a critical molecular mechanism in the regulation of tau proteostasis. This study provides new insights into tauopathies and directions for developing novel therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.